If you have hardwood floors, you probably paid a considerable amount for them, not to mention the time and effort you spend to keep them looking their best. It only stands to reason, as a result, that you will want to buy the very best vacuum cleaner you can to keep your hardwood floors looking their best.

According to some of the best reviews we’ve seen, it also pays to use a good hardwood floor specific vacuum because, as you know, unlike carpeting, even tiny grains of sand can create big scratches when they come into contact with anything running over them. This article will serve as your guide to buying a brand new vacuum that your hardwood floors will love!

Assess needs and functions: With so many options on the market today it’s difficult to find exactly what you want. If, for example, you want a certain function that might be good for wood flooring, that same vacuum might also have other functions or features that could be bad for that exact same floor type. Nevertheless, it still makes sense to keep hunting until you find exactly what you need and nothing more.

Cushioning: No matter what vacuum you choose to buy, make sure it has plenty of rubber padding and cushioning to protect both the floor and whatever else you might run into such as floorboards and furniture.

Sweeping and Mopping Features: Vacuums that feature sweeping and mopping actions are best, but make sure to avoid any that leave much more than just a light mist of water. If your vacuum leaves puddles behind, you are setting yourself up for a lot of problems.

Choose something that is light and easy to maneuver: What good is it to buy a vacuum if you need to have the muscles of Arnold Schwarzenegger to move it around? Instead, you should choose a machine that is easy to pick up and move wherever you need it. This is why good stick vacuums are perfect for hardwood floors.

Choose the right style: Besides the features you need, you should buy one that has the style that you like. Most of the ones that work great on wood floors favor the canister type of vacuum, but much of this is personal preference.

Price: If there is any benefit from the wide variety of vacuums available online today, it’s the fact that not only do features vary widely, but so do prices. The good news in all of this is that generally speaking, you can buy a new vacuum for virtually anything you wish to pay. You just have to look a bit harder if you’re on a shoestring budget.

Shop Around

Another benefit of the Internet age is the ability it gives you to find and share information about virtually anything, including something as mundane as a vacuum cleaner.

Especially when you check sites like Amazon.com, where customer reviews are such a prominent a part of the site, you can often find numerous opinions from various users that are pleased, or not, with their purchase.

With so much diversity, listening to these opinions is definitely the best advice to help you find exactly what you need.